Fall 2016, three youth received their first employment opportunity by securing jobs at the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant. They are participating in an ARCHS' supported youth mentoring program that provides job readiness preparation. The youth also participate in career exploration activities and field trips to area colleges and businesses.

Congratulations to the youth and their mentors for this achievement. The program is a partnership of ARCHS, Missouri Division of Youth Services (DYS), and Fathers' Support Center.

The Club brings to ASAP a rich history of serving area youth. Father Charles P. Maxwell launched the Boys’ Club of St. Louis on October 3, 1929 on the second floor of St. Vincent De Paul’s Catholic School. Under the sponsorship of the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis, Fr. Maxwell’s new club was the first officially affiliated Boys’ Club in Missouri.

By 1933, the Club had an active membership of 1,200 boys. It had proved itself worthy of community support and was admitted to the St. Louis Community Chest – the forerunner to the United Way. Over the next 30 years, the Club moved a number of times before completing and occupying the current 36,000+ square foot facility at 2524 South 11th Street in 1959.

In May 2006, to honor Eugene P. Slay, who served as President and CEO from 1993 until his passing in 2011 and dedicated his life to making things better for the kids, the Club was renamed the Gene Slay’s Boys’ Club of St. Louis. To reflect its expansion to serve girls on a full time and permanent basis, the Club was renamed the Gene Slay’s Girls & Boys Club of St. Louis in 2016.

Since 2007, ASAP has provided licensed, well-rounded after school programs that focus on academic support/enrichment, social and life skills, health and recreation, character development, and parent and family involvement. ASAP programs annually serve more than 2,000 youth. This school year, ASAP will offer programs at 30 locations.

IIn August 2016, The Saigh Foundation awarded $6,950 to ARCHS in order to expand vision care for underserved St. Louis children this school year. The Saigh funds purchased one Spot Vision Screener so that Kids Vision for Life – St. Louis (KVFL) and its vision health partners can now more accurately screen for eye disorders and also screen children less able to read.

KVFL serves un/underinsured children in 12 local school districts through an effective school-based model that delivers free, comprehensive vision care via a mobile clinic van. Since September 2009, KVFL has proudly prescribed more than 12,000 pairs of eyeglasses for students who otherwise would not have easy access to vision health resources. The success of KVFL and its mission to serve these children depends on financial support from donors.

Above: (Social Solutions’ CEO Rachel Arnold (second from left) and ARCHS’ Director of Planning and Research Dr. Dianne Benjamin (far right) at the award ceremony.On September 16th, 2016 at a national conference in Baltimore, ARCHS was one of three organizations presented with Social Solutions’ first annual “UNITE Award 2016”. The Social Solutions’ award recognized ARCHS for the following achievements:

Commitment to community impact

Data-driven decision making

Dedication to outcomes and performance management

Social Solutions highlighted ARCHS’ innovative use of its Apricot Software™ to enhance ARCHS’ outcomes management strategy for the 26 organizations and programs that ARCHS funds and supports. ARCHS’ staff uses Apricot Software™ on a daily basis to keep track of more than 3,000 program dashboard data points at 369 community locations.

Social Solutions’ Apricot Software™ is an extremely secure and flexible nonprofit software solution that offers case management, client, donor, and volunteer tracking as well as outcomes management. The software offers real-time reports and provides actionable data to inform service delivery and program management, outcomes and performance management, and builds a foundation for continuous internal improvement.

Beginning October 1, 2016 all child care programs receiving child care subsidy payments from the state of Missouri will be required to complete health and safety trainings. Pre-Registration Orientation is designed to review changes in the registration process with providers. These classes are not required for registration, but are highly recommended.

All Pre-Service Health and Safety Training requirements must be completed before provider registration can be approved. In addition, providers must complete In-Service Health and Safety Training requirements within 3 months of becoming a registered provider or renewing a registration.

All staff in license exempt facilities will be required to take all pre-service and in-service health and safety trainings and to track completion of training using a MOPD ID Number.

ARCHS' STL Educare will be conducting the FREE required trainings several times each month at Harris-Stowe State University, and each of the trainings will offer two to four clock hours. Additionally ARCHS' STL Educare will offer attendance and payment accuracy trainings and emergency planning trainings.

Funding for these trainings is provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Children's Division, Early Childhood and Prevention Services Section.